Gavaskar slams Pant's approach after keeper-batter throws his wicket away on Day 3 of MCG Test: 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'

Having lost half their side with less than 200 on the board on Day 2 of the fourth Test against Australia, Team India would have been hopeful of wicketkeeper-batter and proven finisher Rishabh Pant steering them out of trouble with a big knock on the ‘Moving Day’. Pant had been having an average run with the bat so far in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and had the perfect opportunity to regain his form in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, where the surface has been more conducive for batting compared to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Pant, who had starred in India's famous series-clinching victory at The Gabba in January 2021, began the day with a couple of early boundaries off Australian skipper Pat Cummins. The 27-year-old later pulled pacer Scott Boland, returning to the XI in place of the injured Josh Hazlewood, for a four to move into the 20s.

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Pant, however, wasted the positive start on Day 3 while attempting his trademark falling lap shot over fine leg in consecutive deliveries from Boland. After copping a painful blow on his abdominal area in the third delivery of the 56th over and getting floored as a result, Pant went for the shot in the very next delivery.

Boland decided to bowl from round the wicket, and fired a full delivery outside off, which took a thick deflection off Pant’s blade and flew over to Nathan Lyon at third man, the veteran off spinner barely moving from his spot to complete the regulation catch.

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Pant had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders ahead of the third day, and had he exercised a little more caution, could have been toying with the Aussie attack later in the day with the ball getting older and the wicket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground getting easier to bat on.

Gavaskar livid with Pant’s shot selection

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, for one, wasn’t amused at all with Pant’s approach and slammed the senior cricketer for his shot selection.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You’ve got two fielder there and you still go for that. You’ve missed the previous shot and look where you’ve been caught. You’ve caught at deep third man. That is throwing away your wicket. Not in the situation that India was. You have to understand the situation as well. You cannot say that is your natural game.

“I am sorry that is not your natural game. That is a stupid shot. That is letting your team down badly. He should not be going in that (Indian) dressing room, he should be going into the other dressing room,” former India captain Gavaskar said while commentating for ABC Sport.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" 😡

🏏 Safe to say Sunny wasn't happy with Rishabh Pant after that shot.

Read more: https://t.co/bEUlbXRNpm
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🟢 Listen live: https://t.co/VP2GGbfgge #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Fe2hdpAtVl

— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 28, 2024

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was batting on 4 overnight, added 13 more runs to his overnight score before becoming the seventh Indian batter to depart after getting trapped leg-before off Nathan Lyon’s bowling.

Had it not been for seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy's defiant knock and his unbeaten eighth-wicket stand with Washington Sundar that took India to 325/7 at tea, the visitors might have found it difficult to avoid a follow-on in the ‘Boxing Day Test’.